Owa-Onire Community Urges Governor AbdulRasaq to Reconsider New Road Project
According to a news report from New Telegraph, residents of Owa-Onire community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have called upon Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to abandon plans for constructing a 21-kilometre road leading to Owu Waterfalls, deeming it unnecessary expenditure.
In a statement issued by the Concerned Indigenes of Owa-Onire community, jointly signed by coordinator Mr. Adebola Ogunbiyi and spokesperson Sunday Akanbi, the community suggested that the government should instead focus on completing the original route to the waterfall, which was initiated in 2008 under the administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki.
This plea comes just three days after the state executive council sanctioned a new contract for the construction of a 21-kilometre road to Owu Falls, with an initial phase costing over N3.9 billion.
According to the community members, the original contract initiated by Saraki's administration is already 20% completed, advocating for its continuation rather than launching a fresh project for the same purpose.
The group added that the initial contractor, “Bulletine construction company Nigeria Limited has worked and asphalted three kilometres of the 15-kilometre Owu-falls road project.
“Only three kilometres out of the 15km road stretch (representing only 20 per cent) from Iwo/Sabaja-Isin to Oba-Isin was tarred while the remaining 12-km from Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu falls was only opened up to the foot of the waterfall and eventually abandoned since 2010 after millions of Naira had been committed to the project”, they said.
The people said that the state government was deceived into awarding another contract by some politicians they described as selfish.
“In terms of distance, the remaining 12-km road is shorter than the fresh 21-km road with a difference of 9km. This 12-km road from Owa-Onire leads right to the foot of the falls without having to alight from vehicle and trek certain hilly distance, unlike the other proposed road.
“Not less than 10 communities along this 12km linear road will have it pass through them and benefit directly (Ijara-Isin, Iji-Isin, Owu-lsin, Sabaja-Isin, Oba-Isin and Owa-Onire) or serve indirectly (lwo-Isin, Kudu Owode, Pamo-lsin, Odo-Ore) and could prompt swift growth in their social-economic development.
“The geophysical nature of the 12km 0ba-Isin-Owa-Onire Owu-Falls road makes it less hilly thereby making its construction less laborious unlike the other proposed road”, they posited.
“In terms of cost of construction, one needs no soothsayer to know that the short distance of 12km 0ba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road with easy geophysical nature will certainly have its cost of construction reduced to the barest minimum as compared to a longer 21-km road with more mountainous hilly terrain.
“More glaring is the fact that the 12km Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road has been in use and is currently still in use by tourists to visit the great Water Falls”, they argued.
They reminded the Governor of his promise on Sunday, December 15, 2019 to complete the abandoned 15km road.
“We see this as very unfair and we abhor it. In view of all the above highlighted reasons, Owa-Onire Community is hereby appealing to Governor AbdulRazaq and the innermost conscience of the state government to revisit the issue of Owu-Falls road construction project with a view to righting the wrongs by also awarding the construction and completion of this 12km Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road to a serious and competent contractor that will ensure its completion with fiat to avoid a repeat of the abandonment it suffered during the former Governor Bukola Saraki administration.
Recall that Owu falls is the highest waterfall in West Africa measuring 120 metres above water level and cascading 330 feet down an escarpment a major boost for tourism in not just the state but in Nigeria and West Africa subregion.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Ali Ahmad Babs Iwarere Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union IEDPU IHS Kwara State Council Of Chiefs Bola Olukoju Gobir Bamikole Omishore Christopher Tunji Ayeni Radio Kwara Afolabi-Oshatimehin Adenike Harriet Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency Egbewole Lithium Deposit Maimunat Oniyangi Owu Fall Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory Mahmud Ajeigbe Suleiman Mora Omar Esinrogunjo Toun Okewale-Sonaiya Bayer Nigeria Limited Oko-Erin Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah Gaa Olobi Yusuf Lawal Ahmed Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku Oba Abu Afolabi-Oshatimehin Special Agro-Industrial Hub Halimah Perogi Abubakar Baba Aisha Buhari Kawu Baraje Michael Nzwekwe Joseph Bamigboye Olatunji Abdulmumeen Adama Isa Muhammed Danjuma Rachael Obisesan Ajia-Bako Adesoye Amule Elementary School Federal Polytechnic Offa Alaiye Vasolar Trader Moni Ijagbo SAPZ Project Bature Bello Mohammed Lawal Bagega Olukotun Of Ikotun Abdulquowiyu Olododo Abdulwahab Olarewaju Issa Babatunde Ishola Babaita Apaola Ibrahim Mashood Aasiyat Bello Oyedepo Mustapha AbdulGaniyu Kwara State Fire Service Sulyman Abdulkareem Abubakar Abdulraheem Saliu Mustapha Haliru Dantoro Haliru Yahaya Donatus Ejidike The Herald Timothy Olatunde Fadipe Isapa Umar Ayinla Saro Offa Grammer School Bashir Badawi Amule T And K FOODS Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations

